September 8, 2014

SNAPSHOT for orchestra

James Barry’s SNAPSHOT has been described by the press as “an emotional roller coaster,” “immediately engaging and distinctly American,” “a picture-perfect melody, surround[ed] with colorful harmonies,” “[and] colorful orchestration.” Commissioned by The Commission Project (Rochester, NY) for the Tallahassee Symphony Youth Orchestra, the five-minute work was intended to provide the group with a challenging, yet accessible concert opener. Today, the piece is regularly programmed by professional, community, university, and youth orchestras and concert bands each season across the country including: the Jacksonville, Lafayette, Oak Ridge and Owensboro Symphony Orchestras, the Holyoke Civic Symphony, Tennessee Tech University Orchestra, Sacramento Youth Symphony, Tallahassee Symphony Youth Orchestra, Vermont Youth Philharmonia, Northeastern and Kutztown University Concert Bands, and the Florida State University Symphonic Band.

Holyoke Civic Symphony: David Kidwell, conductor

FSU Symphonic Band: Patrick Dunnigan, conductor

Owensboro Symphony Orchestra (live), Nicholas Palmer, conductor

FSU Philharmonia: Alex Jimènez, conductor

FSU Symphonic Band: Patrick Dunnigan, conductor

WHAT THE CRITICS SAID ABOUT SNAPSHOT!
“A delightful mixture of constantly changing melodies and keys, …colorful orchestration. Keep the negative of this Snapshot. We will want to view it again.”
Becky Ball, The Oak Ridger (TN)

“An emotional rollercoaster”
Christopher Dilts, The Keystone (PA)

“Take a picture-perfect melody and surround it with colorful harmonies and what you get is Snapshot, a musical composition by New York City composer James Barry.”
George Lenker, The Republican (Springfield, MA)

“We received scores from all over the world, but one piece stood head and shoulders above the rest. The melody is constantly varied and developed motivically always with propulsive rhythms and colorful orchestration. The result is a work that is immediately engaging and distinctly American.”
David Kidwell, Music Director, Holyoke Civic Symphony

Interested in Programming SNAPSHOT?
Please contact me for a complimentary digital copy of the score. A full set of parts and performance score are available for a nominal fee based on the budget size of your orchestra and planned number of performances. Educators and Youth Orchestras are eligible for discounts, and in some cases, performance materials at no cost.

PERFORMANCE HISTORY
Tallahassee Symphony Youth Orchestra (premiere) | April 27, 2003 | Tallahassee, FL | Alex Jimènez, conductor
Jacksonville Symphony Orchestra | May 14, 2004 | Jacoby Symphony Hall, Jacksonville, FL | Fabio Mechetti, conductor
Florida All-State Orchestra | January 8, 2005 | Tampa, FL | Alex Jimènez, conductor
• Hillsborough County Honor Orchestra | January 22, 2005 | Tampa, FL | Alex Jimènez, conductor
• FSU Symphonic Band | February 4, 2005 | Tallahassee, FL | Patrick Dunnigan, conductor
• Sacramento Youth Symphony | April 30, 2006 | Bert Chappell Theatre, Sacramento, CA | Angelo Moreno, conductor
• Holyoke Civic Symphony | October 21, 2007 | Holyoke, MA | David Kidwell, music director & conductor
• Tallahassee Symphony Youth Orchestra | October 26, 2008 | Tallahassee, FL | Alex Jimènez, conductor
• Wyoming All-State Orchestra | January 19, 2009 | Casper, WY | Alex Jimènez, conductor
• Kutztown University Concert Band | November 19, 2009 | Kutztown, PA | Jeremy Justeson, conductor
• Northeastern University Concert Band | November 22, 2009| Fenway Center, Boston, MA | Demetrius Spaneas, conductor
• Tennessee Tech University Orchestra | Feb. 17, 2011 | Cookesville, TN | Dan Allcott, conductor
• Oak Ridge Symphony Orchestra | April 30, 2011 | Oak Ridge, TN | Dan Allcott, conductor
• Holyoke Civic Symphony | October 16, 2011 | Holyoke, MA | David Kidwell, music director & conductor
• Owensboro Symphony Orchestra | April 12, 2014 | RiverPark Center, Owensboro, KY | Nicholas Palmer, conductor
• Lafayette Symphony Orchestra | May 10, 2014 | Long Center for the Performing Arts, Lafayette, IN | Nicholas Palmer, conductor
Vermont Youth Philharmonia | April 13, 2015 | Saint Albans Town Education Center, VT | Yutaka Kono, conductor
Vermont Youth Philharmonia | April 13, 2015 | Bakersfield Elementary School, VT | Yutaka Kono, conductor
Vermont Youth Philharmonia | April 17, 2015 | Elley-Long Music Center, VT | Yutaka Kono, conductor
Tennessee All-West Festival Orchestra | February 13, 2016 | Cannon Center for the Performing Arts, Memphis, TN | Dan Allcott, conductor